Maybe I’m Ungrateful

Recently the athletics department at our small school held their annual raffle to raise money for our sports program. In the past we have been more than dutiful, buying up boatloads of these tickets . . . and last year I even won a few taper candles. Whoo hoo!

This year we decided not to participate since Ashley didn’t play basketball and because we couldn’t actually attend the event. But because my daughter can be OBSTINATELY PERSISTENT, David finally gave in on the final day of sales and purchased one, lone $3 raffle ticket.

Wow did our phone ring off the hook that evening! To my most arduous chagrin, David WON the grand prize!

What’s the chances? I vowed to never let my kids (or husband) ride one of these. Can someone please explain this to me?! Did the planets line up? Should we be playing lotto (even though we don't believe in gambling), are we just lucky unlucky? (Oh yeah, we don't believe in luck either).

We do believe in blessings—and receive them daily . . . I'm just personally not convinced this is a blessing. (Unless, of course, my husband would let me sell it . . . )

Any takers?

Oh The Things A Mom Will Do

I have found in life there are many things that are simply not fair. Personally I have an absolute abhorrence for frogs. One might then deduce I simply don’t allow frogs to be part of my life . . . that would be an inaccurate premise with faulty deductive reasoning. (Logic 201, 1983).

After carefully budgeting the amount of money we were going to spend on Christmas presents last December . . . I (not we) purchased all of the kids’ gifts, wrapped them, put them under the tree to await the anticipation of Christmas morning. It was at this juncture David decided the Christmas shopping wasn’t quite finished. (Even though the budget was). He was quite sure his kids absolutely NEEDED a Tadpole Habitat where his dear children could at their leisure raise frogs. Did you get that?! RAISE FROGS!! (These are the kinds of things we inadvertently forgot to discuss in the dating phase.)

Without my blessing he, of course, was rewarded by all three of our older kids being in agreement that this was not only the best gift of Christmas 2007, but the best gift they have ever received! Whatever.

So now, while my children are at school, our kind mailman brings right to my door little packages with warnings about live creatures inside . . . blah, blah, blah. To add to my angst, one corner of my daughter’s bedroom has now been draped with a blanket and a warning for me to not come near. Whatever happened to a parent’s ability to say, “Not under my roof . . .”?

So I guess I am now resigned to the small fact my house is a breeding ground for the creatures I hate most on this planet. Do you think one day my kids will look back on their growing up years and recognize the personal sacrifice their frog-hating mother engaged in for them? I’m preserving it here on the internet so that one day maybe they’ll understand.

In the words of Charlie Brown, “Aaaarrrrggghhhh!”

God Answers!

A big thank you to everyone who has been joining me in prayer in their laundry rooms. In case you haven’t heard (I hadn’t until my good friend J-Lynn informed me) Pastor Balaev (highlighted in my last post) was released from prison on March 19, 2008! You can read more about his story here.

Wow! How incredible is that?! I know God hears and answers when we call. How faithful He is!

“The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results.” James 5: 16 (NLT)

Won't You Join Me?

Lately I’ve been hanging out on websites that make me sad—the persecuted church around the world is overwhelmingly large; the children of the world so needy, abused, exploited and alone.

Possibly the saddest picture floating in my head this week is this one. Oh what I wouldn't give to be her mom and treat her like the princess she was born to be. Today as I sorted mounds of laundry I prayed for her. Though I’ve never met her personally and don’t even know her name, I just can’t forget those sad little eyes trapped in a prison she only knows as her life.

I also prayed for the pastor I read about earlier this morning. As I jumped from one site to another following an email I had received, I couldn’t help the tears that flowed for these fellow believers in the hands of tyranny. In-between applying Spray and Wash and loading darks, God gave me an idea. I’ve decided to dedicate my “laundry time” to lifting up children in need and those suffering around the world for the sake of Christ.

Inside these walls of my more than comfortable home, God has inspired me with a way to touch the lives of children who are orphaned, abused or exploited and Christians suffering in horrendous prison cells enduring hunger, torture, and separation from loved ones. With a mounted bulletin board just in front of my washing machine, I’ve placed pictures and articles of people I want to be praying for. Knowing most of my readers are moms like me, doing loads of laundry every week, I wonder if you might like to join me in your own laundry rooms. Somehow it’s like redeeming the time for a cause far bigger than making sure our kids have clean clothes to wear.

Here are some links to help us get started:
Orphans First
Open Doors
Compass Direct News

Please leave a comment if you’re joining—I’d like to add tiny profile pictures of you along the top border of my bulletin board reminding me I’m not alone in this small endeavor.

Though most of us can’t physically do anything to help these ones in need, we can lift them up to the One who can.

While Riding In The Van . . .

Cole: Mom, Jonathan used the “N” word!

Knowing Jonathan would never use the “N” word I asked,

“Cole, what’s the “N” word?

Cole: Stupid!

Hmmmm, how much am I paying in tuition again?

What Could Be More Fun Than Turning 5?!

Even though it has a bent toward getting lost in the mix, Cole had a delightful birthday—took chocolate sprinkled cupcakes for his class, had a pizza party with his cousins and was given the gift he as been asking for ALL YEAR: Buzz Lightyear (Thank you Amazon!) He also ended up with a Buzz Lightyear remote control car (so cool) and an amazing remote control car with lots of power, zip and turn-on-a-dime steering.

It’s so hard for me to believe this little guy is 5! He came into the world so peacefully, was an amazingly easy baby, and has been the absolute joy of everyone in our family ever since.

Born for the stage, Cole immediately turns into performance mode if the spotlight is on. He can ham it up with a huge grin and amazingly send a room full of people into hysterics with very little effort. Tenderhearted, kind and full of spunk, Cole loves anything involving action . . . and yet enjoys curling up with a good book—especially if his big brother, Jonathan, will read it to him.

Happy 5 Years, Cole! We are so thankful we get to be your parents!

Merry Christmas!

I know what you're thinking . . . sheeeish, couldn't she find one with Cole's eyes open?!

Uh, the answer would be, "Noooo." I guess Cole just discovered a new way of posing for pictures—ALL of them!

Merry Christmas!

The Holidays Are Here

Ah, it’s that time of year. It is exactly one week until Christmas Eve . . . meaning today is our anniversary and Cole’s birthday! The holidays—all jumbled together.

Since we will be having a birthday party for Cole tonight, our anniversary celebration will be moved to a more conducive date. Personally, I'm hoping for a visit to Mr. Simmon's house—a minister who restores old and rare clocks in his garage. Since we've been in the market for a Cuckoo Clock for quite some time, David's parents recommended we give him a call. They discovered him when they needed some repair work done on their own Cuckoo Clock—a Hasz family antique brought over many years back from Germany.

David did give Mr. Simmons a call the other day; it went something like this:

David: Hello Mr. Simmons, we were wondering if you have any Cuckoo Clocks.

Mr. Simmons: I surely do. I've got an eight day Cuckoo Clock . . . and then I've got a DANDY! (Think thick Texas draw).

His DANDY has me intrigued. Since he is only about an hour away, I'm lobbying (via my blog) that a visit to Mr. Simmon's is how we celebrate . . . of course, with dinner at a great restaurant somewhere on the way.

Happy Anniversary Babe! Fourteen years of wedded bliss.

From Our House To Yours

Ah, the deadline draws nigh . . . thus I must post my Christmas tour for Heidi Jo’s Holiday Home Tour Extravaganza. Welcome to the sights and sounds of our Christmas decor. This is our entryway with our little lighted snowman.














Next is our Christmas tree. The gigantic gift in the back is for ME from David. Hmmmm, wonder what it could be?


















This is our stairway decorated exclusively by Ashley, who was way to cool to actually pose for the camera.


















These are the Christmas Carolers who stopped by Sunday night—wow, could they ever sing! Beautiful!














And lastly, is our fireplace mantle with four stockings hanging dutifully limp in anticipation of being stuffed to the brim on Christmas morn.


















You might notice the ears on the third one sticking out quite excessively. This is because if you squeeze one, this is what you get:



The rule at our house is his ear can be squeezed only once a day! Merry Christmas from our house to yours.

The Evening That Almost Wasn't

Though I can’t remember ever having the conversation, my husband was quite insistent that I had agreed to go to a Michael W. Smith concert in Dallas a couple of nights ago. Not only was it pricey, on a school night, and a lengthy drive, I really hadn’t been to a Christian Concert since about 1983 and wasn’t even a little bit enthusiastic about it . . . so much so that we almost gave our tickets away at the last minute to anyone who would take them. When it came right down to it though, we finally decided to ditch our kids (we had to hire 3 different babysitters to make it work and hire another girl to take Ashley to her dance lessons) and go with our good friends Heath and Alisa to the concert.

Wow! Was I in for a surprise. I LOVED this concert! It was set in the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center which was decorated incredibly beautiful for Christmas. Our seats were right above the stage where we had a bird’s eye view of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra—whose magnificent sounds could possibly compete with the ensembles of heaven. Getting to hear The Katinas and Melinda Doolittle (American Idol finalist) was an added bonus. The atmosphere and music were simple majestic. Such a nice way to celebrate the Christmas season. My only regret is that I didn’t take my two older kids—I think it would have been great inspiration for their own musical pursuits.

We topped off the evening by eating at The Cheesecake Factory and I even got a chance to run into my favorite store next door: The Container Store. What a great night! What a great husband to be so thoughtful! Honestly, I would have paid double for such a wonderful evening.

Santa's Helper

Okay, Ladies. It’s that time of year again . . . time to buy that perfect gift for yourself from your husband.

What? That takes the fun out of it? Where is the surprise element?

Ladies, don’t kid yourself. Have you ever truly liked the gift he picked out for you? Or better yet, the one his personal assistant picked up? (After he told her what to buy, of course). Has he ever been able to actually remember any of the little hints you gave him from Thanksgiving Day all the way up to Christmas Eve?

After fourteen Christmas’ with my husband, I finally decided the best way to get what I really want, really like, with the price tag being just right, I decided to buy it myself. My husband’s response:

“You are the woman! You are the most amazing wife in the entire world! You don’t even understand how great this is!”

So ladies. Release him from the burden. Make your Christmas merry. GO BUY YOUR CHRISTMAS PRESENT!

Oh, and if you happen to ask him afterwards if he’d like you to wrap it as well . . . it's probably safe to assume his response will be similar to the one I got from mine, “That would be awesome!”

Forgetting Not His Benefits

Thanksgiving was wonderful. We drove to Amy’s (David’s sister) house north of Dallas where we had the most wonderful Thanksgiving meal. David’s parents joined us as well as Sam’s (David’s brother) family. It was absolutely perfect!

We spent a bit of time reflecting on what we are thankful for. I am thankful for so much.

I am thankful for Jesus and His consuming presence in our lives, the wonderful guy I’m married to, our extended families, good health, the abundant blessings of the Lord . . .



and

these

four

little

darlings.

The Rip-Off

When you walk into your living room and notice your camera is sitting on the coffee table, you smile because you realize your daughter forgot to put it back in your purse this morning. When you mentally try and recall how much actual cash you saw in your billfold yesterday, you again can’t help but grin remembering that you gave every last bit down to your last dime to your kids for the missionary offering. When you walk in your office and see your daytimer sitting open on your desk, you chuckle in disbelief because you actually meant to stick it in your handbag before leaving.

So, I guess the guy who attempted to rob me blind at the pharmacy today got away with a credit card that I canceled before he was ever able to make an attempt at using, a debit card with the same results, a few checks that if he tries to use will be returned stamped “Stop Payment.”

Since the police report has been filed and the surveillance camera got a full and clear shot of him . . . I’m thinking he might regret his decision to swipe what didn’t belong to him . . . unless of course, he just really enjoys reading through the journal of sermon notes he finds among his rather scanty bounty.

Though it did cost me a bit of inconvenience, I’d have to say it was a much more costly mistake for him. Oh, and the child who forgot to put my camera back . . . she got thanked immensely for being disobedient, irresponsible and forgetful. : ) She also got a big hug and lunch out with mom.

Do You Have A Need For Sparkle and Bling?

Marilyn Monroe once sang that diamonds are a girl’s best friend. I’d have to say I disagree.

Though I didn’t ask for them, and though I’ve never been a diamond-wearing kind of girl, David bought me diamond earrings last December for our 13th wedding anniversary. Though I wear them, some days I hugely regret that such a thoughtful gift ever crossed my dear husband’s mind . . . like the day I dropped one on my bathroom floor. I couldn’t find it. After crawling all over the floor and underneath the vanity, I noticed a very small, hairline crevice between the vanity and the ceramic tile. After I removed six ceramic tiles, I found my little diamond earring. That was about 8 months ago . . . and those tiles have yet to be replaced.

And then there was yesterday. I dropped one in my bathroom sink. After falling down the drain I mentally debated as to weather I should remove the trap under my sink and retrieve it . . . or just let it go. I actually gave it a shot, but the pipes were too tight for me to turn. I didn’t use that sink the rest of the day and then David recovered my small diamond earring when he got home from work.

Or how about when you can’t find your diamond earrings. After a thorough search you find them in the trunk of your young son’s play car. Nice!

I guess I don’t get it. I’m totally fine with $20 earrings—just nice enough to not make my ears sore. Then, when something unfortunate happens, it’s not a big deal. I can handle losing $20 bucks. Am I alone here? I have a feeling I am.

There They Go

Our volleyball team placed third at the district finals.

Way to go, girls!

You are awesome!

And You Thought You Were Having A Bad Day . . .

Parenting Failure Of The Week

On Saturday we went out to David’s parent's house on the lake. As we pulled up David told the kids that his aunt and uncle were visiting from Colorado.

He gave a short synopsis of how they were related to both him and their granddad.

Cole asked, “Does that mean we have to be nice to them?”

A little surprized at my sweet son’s question, I replied, “Yes Cole! We are nice to everyone!”

Cole: “Oh yeah, I forgot.”

Home Again, Home Again

David and I (along with Cole and Nicholas) just got back last night from a week in Minneapolis. We had the most amazing time hanging out with good friends, visiting some great churches, interacting with students on the North campus and meeting new people. What a whirlwind this week has been! Even though I googled to get the weather, somehow I was off about 20 degrees . . . so we were rather chilly most of the time.

Yesterday, after packing up to return home, we arrived a bit early at the airport. After waiting two hours to board our plane we were told our flight was being delayed two hours. After waiting two more hours we were told it was being delayed another 30 minutes.

Everyone has dealt with flight delays . . . it wouldn't have been so bad had we not had Nicholas with us. Poor little guy. He was so tired and cranky (me too, I just couldn't express myself in quite the same way.)

At 5:00 when we finally were all seated on our completely full flight (meaning the lap child really was a lap child), Nicholas was crying quite loudly. We were trying everything we could think of, but nothing would console.

One of the flight attendants came up and asked Nicholas, "What's the matter, Little Buddy?" Breaking all the tension in the air David replied, "He wanted to be on the 2:30 flight." All the passengers around us chimed in with, "Me too!"

Laughter all around. I've learned over the years this is a gift of David's and he never ceases to amaze me with his ability to turn the tide in tense situations.

Nicholas' crying soon turned into sleep . . . and his parents turned into very grateful passengers.

Bummer!

No one likes bedtime around here (except for Nicholas) and our four year old does everything he can think of to try and avoid it.

A couple of nights ago, about 30 minutes after we put him to bed, Cole shuffled out to the living room with his little Buzz Lightyear (which he takes absolutely everywhere these days). He announced to me that Buzz was sooooo excited because he heard Dad turn on the playoffs . . . and Cole had promised Buzz he could watch the playoffs if Dad did.

Cole then proceeded to plop himself down on the sofa next to his dad to watch the game . . . as if this were the norm. Of course, we had to break it to him that though Buzz was certainly welcome to stay and watch the game, he, Cole, would actually have to go back to bed since it was a school night.

Poor Buzz . . . he ended up just going back to bed with Cole.

The Winning Team

Seldom do I lose to David in Scrabble. Okay, “seldom” might not actually be the correct adverb . . . but I certainly do my best to skunk him.

But last night he pulled out his secret weapon—his nine year old son, Jonathan (and sidekick, Cole).

Jonathan is quite the little squirt. He studies the Scrabble dictionary in his free time and can phonically spell correctly just about any word you throw at him.

Just when David was getting ready to pass his turn because he honestly didn’t think he had a play, Jonathan informed him that indeed he did—“t-i-d-i-n-g-s.” If you’re a Scrabble player you know all seven letters means you get an extra 50 points. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he played it on the Triple Word Score! That extra 86 points kind of did me in.

Of course, my little son makes me very proud. The only one who might be prouder would be his Aunt Debbie . . . whose day will surely one day come. I don’t think she has actually ever lost a game of Scrabble, but Jonathan is preparing for the take-down! Note to Aunt Debbie from Jonathan: Be afraid! Be very afraid!!

Are You Smarter Than A Sixth Grader?

Maybe it’s because I went to a government school . . . or maybe it’s just because I didn’t pay attention much, but lately when I look over Ashley’s school work, I realize I my little sixth grader is WAY smarter than me.

These questions are just a sampling of some recent ones I found in Ashley’s backpack. I DOUBLE DOG DARE you to take my little test . . . and post your results. Just for the record, I missed them all.

1. What is the diameter of the earth?

2. What is the circumference of the earth?

3. What people gave the alphabet to the world?

4. What is the fastest land animal on earth?

5. What is the only mammal that can fly?

6. The Persian Empire was conquered by what people?

Jot down your answers before you click on the comment button because I’ll have the answers posted there.

P.S. It is totally not fair to google and get your answers.

Happy Birthday Jonathan!

It’s so hard for me to believe Jonathan is nine today. Where have the years gone?

Jonathan is such a sweet and lovable kind of guy—always so conscientious about the needs and feelings of others. He can usually be found devouring a book, beating someone in Scrabble, working on crafts or doing a puzzle.

I could go on and on about how really, truly great he is . . . but THIS is why I refrain.

This picture is of him and his new birthday puppy, Cody Jack.

Happy Birthday, Jonathan! You make my heart so happy and I'm abundantly blessed to be your mom!

Ditto To Lauren Green

Okay, this week has been crazy, leaving me no time to blog . . . so I’m just getting around to expressing my SHEER and UTTER ANGER at Kathy Griffin’s remarks during the Emmy Awards last weekend.

Incase you haven’t yet seen Lauren Green’s response to Ms. Griffin on her blog, please check it out. Lauren is such a great and thoughtful writer and her words say so well what I feel.

Celebrating 40

On Sunday Kelly and I (with Jordan and Nicholas in tow) flew to Colorado to help Michelle celebrate the big 40 . . . which is today!

We've been catching up on each others' lives, reminiscing on old times, leaving all the kids with Rod, eating great food, getting manicures, pedicures, massages and even make-overs at the Bobbi Brown counter. Serious celebrating is due when 40 rolls around.

But all things must come to an end and it's rather sad we have to leave tomorrow. I am having major withdraws from David, Ashley, Jonathan and Cole . . . so I'm also looking forward to heading back to Texas. Besides, Michelle needs to pack for her upcoming trip to . . . ?

Happy Birthday Michelle! 40 sure looks great on you.

Nighttime Moments

Cole: Dad, I'm scared of the dark. Will you turn on the light?

David: Cole, you don't have to be afraid. Jesus is with you.

Cole: I know, Dad . . . but He doesn't turn on the light!